


Halloween

by muffin_song



Category: Groundhog Day - Minchin/Rubin
Genre: Fluff, Groundhog Day Fan Week 2017, Rating for Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 05:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12051957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muffin_song/pseuds/muffin_song
Summary: Phil makes a bet.  It does not go well.





	Halloween

Larry almost slams down his glass on the Burrough Bar’s table.  “I’m telling you, Phil, Punxsutawney Phil got hitched.”

“I’m just saying, I’ve spent a _lot_ of time studying up on groundhogs.  Like, I was a Meteorology major with a minor in Marmots.”  Phil is on his third beer now, and knows it.  He also knows he’s being arrogant.  What he likes about shooting the shit with Larry is that he’ll call Phil on his crap if he goes too far, but that Larry also knows 90% of what Phil says when he gets like this is just bluster. 

Bickering aside, it’s really, really good to see Larry.  They text these days, but it’s not the same as having your good friend as your co-worker.  But he and Nancy and the kids seem really happy in Punxsutawney.

Larry takes a sip of his drink.  “You may have the fellow weatherman expertise, my friend, but I am now a local.  And I have the insider scoop.”

“And I’m just saying,” Phil gestures to himself.  “I know I’m a city slicker, but I know a lot about this place.”  Well, at least a version of it.  In his post-loop life, Phil has been forced to concede that he no longer knows everything about Punxsutawney.  There’s just too much that has changed.  But the trade-off is that he gets to be a person again, _and_ he’s married to the best woman in the history of...well, anything.  So that’s fucking _awesome_.  "Punxsutawney Phil is over a hundred years old, and he's always been a bachelor."

Larry has that look in his eye that should tip off Phil that he’s about to get himself into trouble.  “You want to bet on it?”

Phil downs the remainder of his beer.  “Yeah, I’ll bet on it.  What’ll it be, Larry?”

The look on Larry’s face is pure evil.  After he states his conditions, they seal it with a shake and a clinking of glasses.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Phil and Larry stand in front of the Punxsutawney Phil display at the library.  There’s a sign that reads, “Meets Phyllis!”  The schmuck who designed the new display even had the gall to put a “Just married!” in the background.  Who the hell conducts groundhog weddings anyway???

Larry shakes his head.  “Pay up, man.”

The two identical groundhogs scrunch up their noses in unison.

“Fuck,” Phil mumbles under his breath.

 

* * *

 

Mrs. Lancaster opens the door.  

“Trick or Treat~~~~!” cry two children.  One is on the ground in a cow costume, and the other (dressed as a bat) is being held by Larry, Nancy Taylor’s husband.

“Oh, aren’t you precious!” Mrs. Lancaster cries.  (Some years the kids just skip over her bed and breakfast - she’s relieved this isn’t one of them.  Buying the big candy bars last year seems to have paid off.)  “I’ve got some Skittles for you, Mr. Cow.”  She drops the candy into Ryan’s pumpkin bucket.  She next turns to the little girl in Larry’s arm.  “And this is for you!”

“Me and Mommy might take a cut of this,” Larry stage whispers.

Mrs. Lancaster winks.  “That’s okay, I got the Snickers because I know Nancy likes them.”

“Oh, and it’s…”   She looks up at the second adult standing there.  She can’t see their face behind the mask, but it’s like they’re trying to melt into the side of the house.  Something that’s hard to do while wearing... _that._

It’s funny, she could have sworn the Groundhog Club was really rigid about the costume making any appearances outside of February second.  “Punxsutawney Phil himself!”  

The figure in the groundhog costume nods solemnly.  Funny, Nancy’s not that tall, and whoever is in the groundhog costume is definitely approaching six feet...

 

 

* * *

 

It’s late when Phil gets back to their room at the Punxsutawney Hotel.  October is pretty cold in western Pennsylvania, but it was _hot_ in that thing.  

Rita’s already turned the lights off.  It’s hard to get undressed in the dark, but there’s no way in hell he’s turning on the light for Rita to get a better view.

“If you breathe a word of this to _anyone…_ ”

Rita gives him a peck.  He can tell she’s holding off on her glee - at least until tomorrow at breakfast.  “Love you, Phil.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Phil curls into her, her warmth comforting as always even as he’s trying to cool down.  “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> If I both try to do the Groundhog Day fan week prompts *and* finish my main fic I have no idea how I'm going to get anything else done >_< (Did I mention I also have a full time job?) Stay tuned!!!


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